Italy: Dockworkers threaten to shut down ports if Israel intercepts ‘Global Sumud Flotilla’

Civil groups, including port workers in Italy, have announced that they will close several ports if Israel intervenes and seizes the boats of the “Global Sumud Flotilla” aiming to break the blockade on Gaza.

According to ANSA on Tuesday, workers at the port of Genoa supporting the flotilla said in a statement that “they would not let even a “nail” depart from it if the flotilla is halted.”

The statement came in response to remarks by Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who said that “the boats in the flotilla will be seized, and the people on board will be detained and treated like terrorism suspects.”

In a similar move, workers at the port of Venice also issued a statement confirming that if the flotilla is intercepted, measures would be taken to shut down the port, the agency reported.

On Sunday, around 20 vessels set sail as part of the flotilla from Barcelona in Spain, followed by another convoy that departed early Monday from Genoa in north-western Italy.

The ships are expected to meet another convoy scheduled to leave Tunisia on 4 September, before continuing their journey towards Gaza in the coming days.

READ: 4 Italian lawmakers to join Gaza aid flotilla